dontplaceliterature

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Posts by dontplaceliterature

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  99

  Thought Reform and the Psychology of the 'Safeguard Your Heart!' 2012 Convention

  by breakfast of champions in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to make attendance at my second district convention "mentally out" both a little more bearable and meaningful, i decided to take some notes of key points as if i were an outsider studying the thought reform methods of jehovah's witnesses.

  at first, i was only going to share these notes with my therapist, but inspired by the "parsing the watchtower double-speak" thread, i figured i would share my amateur analysis with everyone.

  here are some of the highlights:.

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  dontplaceliterature
• 
  18

  TRUTH BE TOLD - New JW Documentary??

  by Flat_Accent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftol5mq3iuw&feature=plcp.

  from the blurb:.

  truth be told is a new feature-length documentary film about growing up in the jehovah's witnesses religion.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Honesty, was it just someone from a local branch, or a national executive?

  My assumption would be that they were paid by WTBTS to air that program. Either that, or the funds were donated by WTBTS to the creator, and then he used said funds to make a large contribution to PBS in exchange for the air-time. Have you ever seen a puff-piece on any other religion on PBS?
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  18

  TRUTH BE TOLD - New JW Documentary??

  by Flat_Accent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftol5mq3iuw&feature=plcp.

  from the blurb:.

  truth be told is a new feature-length documentary film about growing up in the jehovah's witnesses religion.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Also, Netflix has a nice selection of documentaries - many of which are controversial. Perhaps they would pick it up?
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  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  If somebody needs something to be happy then what's wrong with that? And even then, that is a rather broad, generalized statement.

  Wouldn't it be better to concentrate on your own happiness than make other people feel lousy for having a belief?

  @shamus

  I'm not saying I have a problem with believers at all. I'm just trying to understand what holds people back from entertaining the possibility that they are alone. Perhaps the statement is broad, and generalized, but that doesn't make it invalid. It's like saying that all mobsters are ruthless. A generalization? Yes, but it sorta comes with the territory. Not that believers are ruthless!

  I'm also not trying to make anyone feel lousy for believing. I just hate people who dance around with vague answers to direct questions because they can't quite explain why they feel the way they do. They'd rather split hairs than commit to a specific reply. I'd rather they not say anything at all because that strategy of dialogue just floods the discussion with distracting information and doesn't accomplish anything.
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  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  I don't see that that has anything to do with athiesm?

  @Black Sheep

  It has a lot to do with BECOMING an atheist for many. It isn't necessarily what makes one atheist, but it opens the door to that path of logic. Once you are willing to let go of your fantasies about living forever, it becomes easier to start accepting more logical answers about life on Earth.
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  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Faith follows the thing heard.....

  all you need to do is cover your ears

  but love starts in the eyes of understanding

  But if you try to close your eyes

  Love turns into a teardrop

  but in your heart lies it's broken remains

  This is rediculous. It insinuates that people who are non-believers are deaf, blind, and pitiful.
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  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  People don't form relationships with anyone for "No Reason", God included. Period. Believers NEED God. Perhaps it is companionship that people seek? How is this different than having an imaginary friend?
• 
  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Let's just agree that you believe because you want to and leave it at that.
• 
  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

  1. 
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  dontplaceliterature

  Tammy

  How can anyone argue with your line of reasoning? It's all over the place and you make loads of assumptions and false statements. You hear God? When was the last time you two chatted it up? God's not a tyrant? Have you read the Old Testament, or did you tear that part out of your Bible?

  Back to my challange to you, so that we stay on point, here...

  You are giving reasons for loving/believing in Christ/God that are based on a reward system, i.e. "life", "ransom", "promises kept". So in what way is this worshiping/belivieving regardless of the reward? You accused cofty of not making any sense, but it seems like this is senseless to me, no offense meant, honestly. If nothing else, you believe because it makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, so in that sense, you believe for the reward of warm fuzzies, no?
• 
  90

  What it takes to become an atheist.

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was pondering this today during lunch, and to me it seems that it comes down to whether or not you can accept that you will one day be permanantly gone and anyone you have lost in death will never be alive again.

  once a person becomes comfortable with these two ideas, there isn't really any incentive to believe.

  maybe it's an over simplification, but it seems to me that this is the heart of the matter.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Tammy,

  You just admitted that you want to believe in God because you love him. He "helps" you. Thus, it follows you are believing because you feel it brings you a benefit. It brings you a reward in that you are "always helped." Please explain to me in what way you are worshiping for nothing? There certainly is a reward for you based on what you are saying here.

  Are you saying that you would love Christ/God even if you were not helped? If so, why?